Do nuns actually get married to Jesus?

[BarbaraTherese]

No, nuns are not actually married to Jesus. It’s a form of figurative speech to say nuns are the spouses of Christ.

In reality, as members of the Church, the Bride of Christ, we are all called to be “spouses” of Christ. Now since religious have taken vows not to marry a human spouse so that they may focus on Lord, they are an external witness to that unity with Christ to which we are all called. Their celibacy enables them to “thinketh on the things of the Lord” (1 Cor. 7:34) and is an encouragement and example to us non-religious of the detachment we should have from creatures and the attachment of love we should have for Christ.

“In the consecrated life particular importance attaches to the spousal meaning, which recalls the Church’s duty to be completely and exclusively devoted to her Spouse, from whom she receives every good thing. This spousal dimension, which is part of all consecrated life, has a particular meaning for women, who find therein their feminine identity and as it were discover the special genius of their relationship with the Lord.” (Vita Consecrata, no. 34)

To sum up, the religious more perfectly lives the spousal relationship with Jesus to which we are all called as members of the Church, the Bride of Christ. Nevertheless, the terms marriage, spouse, *spousal, *etc. are only symbolic terms used to describe spiritual realities.

Maria

The above is another excellent balanced Post from some time back in this thread. My one point would be that religious, nuns and priests should IDEALLY live out more perfectly the spousal relationship…and that it can be a way of doing so, but not the only way i.e. religious life.
Maria in a later post points out something very important too:

Well, not really. The term marriage is figurative or symbolic of the spiritual reality of unity with Christ. It is not proper to Christ to be married to anyone. “For in the resurrection they shall neither marry nor be married; but shall be as the angels of God in heaven.” (Matt. 22:30)

Thanks, Maria…balanced posts.

Barb

 

[CMarkD]

It is my considered opinion that since after death we form the bride of Christ. Since Christ is an infinite God and thus should in the spirit of being evenly yoked enters that marriage with the communion of saints. Since all religious will presumably also do the same as laity after death to join the communion of Saints. Since in the spirit of being evenly yoked we on earth as finite creatures are incapable of being married to An infinite God. Nuns therefore would be either spiritually in error to think they marry Christ in this life.
Secondly since Christ says whatever you do to the least of my brothers that you do unto me. I would posit that Christ would approve of earthly marriage between religious men and women. The first request of God for all men is go be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth and teem over it, Genesis 1 verse 28. In God’s eyes it was so important he repeated it in Chapter 9 both in verse 1 and 7. God also said it was not good for man to be alone in Genesis 2 verse 18, then in verse 24 He says that is why a man leaves father and mother clings to his wife and the two become one body. Given that the above was spoken by God when no sin separated us from Him It is so telling that God could find fault with a sinless human for not being in an intimate relationship with someone else other than God.
Given that it was God’s request we be fruitful, His design we be married. How can celibacy claim to be a greater call than marriage?
Eunuch for the sake of the Kingdom Matthew 19 verse 12 takes on a whole different meaning when one considers the job eunuchs did was to serve the spouse. To give it the celibate interpretation creates a contradiction and places the verse out of context with the previous verse on God’s plan for marriage.
So since Jesus did not advocate celibacy. Since Jesus lives in eternity and in eternity the past present and future are all one. Then Jesus is married to the Church His bride. Perfect imitation by religious should thus be to marry and take spouses in this life. this is far simpler than the convoluted spiritual justifications for celibacy which contradicts the church’s stand on governments setting barriers to marriage or child rearing.
Tradition must serve God’s will and since loving God means obeying His will (Matthew 7). If Genesis is where Jesus goes to when He advises on Marriage. The question of celibacy should also be in obedience to Genesis.